Morgan Ashurst chasing £4bn BSF Academies framework deal

Morgan Ashurst is chasing a place on the new £4bn Building Schools for the Future Academies framework. The firm confirmed its interest this week in extending its education portfolio into the BSF Academies sector.

More than 60% of Morgan Ashurst’s £850m turnover is in education.

Speaking to CJ, Ray McAuley, business development director, said the firm was well placed to deliver under a national framework, particularly since Morgan Sindall’s acquisition of Amec DPS in July 2007 which saw Bluestone and Amec DPS merged to form Morgan Ashurst.

He said: “Morgan Ashurst is very interested in the new Academies framework. Since Morgan Sindall’s acquisition of Amec DPS last year the firm now had greater geographical coverage over the whole of England as well as Scotland and Wales.

"In addition we are involved in over 30 local authority frameworks, some second generation, which cover the whole spectrum of the educational sector from universities, further education colleges and schools so we have a big public sector presence.”

The new framework will be advertised early next year and launched in October 2009. Upto 10 contractors will be chosen.

Other likely newcomers to the BSF Academies arena include HBG; Vinci; Interserve; Costain; Hochtief and Bouygues.